Frequently Asked Questions
NOBLE FIBRE FAQs
ABOUT
Noble Fibre Artisan Marche is a social benefit corp.
SHIPPING AND ADMINISTRATIVE ADDRESS
3110 Levante Street, Carlsbad, California 92009 USA
OUR COLLECTIONS
We strive to produce beautiful, enduring luxe heritage pieces made with traditional artisan techniques.
The Noble Fibre collection features hand made designs by artisans. As a result every item is one of a kind. There may be slight variations in color and texture which are inherent with hand made techniques. Natural fibre colors will also vary slightly as part of natural organic processes.
ORDERS
DIRECT RETAIL
NFI sells limited pieces of our collections directly on line and through trunk shows and pop ups.
WHOLESALE
Contact us at info@noble-fibre.com to get information if you are a registered retailer or design business.
EXCLUSIVES
We do exclusive collections with some retailers and partners. Contact us for more details.
COLLABORATIONS
We collaborate with designers and companies that are a fit in terms of our ethos and capacity. Contact us to find out more.
PAYMENT
NFI uses Shopify to process payments . We accept credit cards, checks and wires.
We require that all custom orders are paid in full in advance. All wholesale customers are required to pay 50% deposit.
It takes one month to four months to produce and ship items, depending on the type of item being made. Cancellations are not accepted on custom orders.
Balance and Shipping is due once your order has shipped. We require full payment of the balance within one week from the time your order has been received.
We source many of the fibres and material directly for our production so we need to plan ahead for production.
DELIVERY TIMES-SHIPPING
If we have items in stock we will ship them immediately and you will receive the order within one week.
NOTE: COVID-19 has impacted global supply chains and shipping so delays may occur that are beyond the control of our artisan partners and NFI.
If we need to produce the order it will take 1-4 months for your items to be produced. From nomads and their goats to the loom to you! It is worth the wait to have an exceptionally fine and fair product made that will endure!
Almost all of our collection is hand made. Yarn is hand spun from cashmere, wool and cotton and then woven by hand on wooden looms. Each piece can take from 1 to 5 months to make depending on the intricacy of the design and size of the piece. We will provide you with details on delivery times.
SHIPPING
We land all of our orders so prices are FOB.
Orders are shipped domestically in the United States from California by USPS, UPS ground and FEDEX.
Shipping and handling is billed on orders once the order is shipped. Shipping costs range from $10 to $50 depending on the region and weight of the shipment. We bill the actual cost for us to ship plus cost of box and materials to ensure that costs are reasonable.
SHIPPING OUTSIDE OF THE US
We ship world wide and use DHL, FEDEX and UPS international economy services unless you request it be expedited.
TAX
We are registered in California and therefore all sales made to California based individuals and businesses are taxed.
RETURNS/REFUNDS
In the event that your order is damaged, defective or you are not satisfied with it we will accept returns for credit or a full refund. First you must contact us to get a RA (return Authorization). We will not accept a return or issue a refund or exchange without a RA. Customers need to submit a request by email for a return authorization. NFI needs to issue a Return Authorization to process the return and credit/refund.
Customers have 14 days from the time they received the shipment to request a RGA and return merchandise.
All returned goods must have original tags, packaging and not show any signs of wear or use.
Items that are damaged or used will not be accepted for returns.
NFI does not pay shipping for returns.
CUSTOM ORDERS
NFI produces custom pieces and exclusives for some wholesale and design clients. NFI does not accept returns for custom orders including made to measure pieces.
CANCELLATION OF ORDERS
Our collection is primarily made by hand. Pieces are made per the order you placed. If production has started on your order in our workshops we cannot cancel it.
If you ordered items in stock you can cancel our order and your deposit will be refunded.
NFI reserves the right to cancel orders if the vendor does not comply with our business standards or payment policies.
PAYMENTS
NFI requires that the payment on balance due is paid as soon as goods are shipped. Payments that are late past 30 days will incur a 5% fee.
SHIPPING AND HANDLING
We ship by USPS, UPS or FEDEX in the US and with FEDEX for international shipments. Shipping and Handling (packaging) will be charged based on the current actual rates. We currently do not ship individual orders outside of the US but plan on doing so in the near future.
CARE
Cashmere and wool fibre are hair so they require some care and maintenance. If you wear and use your pieces daily then they will need more maintenance. You can easily spot clean cashmere and wool. If you need to wash the entire piece then we recommend washing in cold water with a wool wash. We highly recommend products from The Laundress' wool and cashmere wash, wool and cashmere spray and their combs and brushes for cleaning and care of cashmere, wool, cotton and silk. https://www.thelaundress.com They are eco-friendly and the best items we have found for the care and washing of cashmere and wool.
Dry cleaning is ok. We know it is not always possible to hand wash. However, dry cleaning will not make your pieces softer like handwashing. Check with your dry cleaner to make sure they have experience cleaning cashmere and wool, especially blankets.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLIITY
We source most of our cashmere directly from 42 nomad families in Tibet and the yak wool through a cooperative we help set up. The nomads live in tents and their goats roam freely over large areas of land. They keep herds in balance with the land they graze.
NFI also sources some cashmere and yak from Nepal and Ladakh, India through our local partners.
Our hats, gloves and a few accessories and blankets are made with Mongolian cashmere yarn.
We are working with our partners to document and verify source of all materials and encourage best environmental practices.
NFI’s Tibetan cashmere is fully documented and verified. The Nepalese cashmere comes in small batches from locals and we are undertaking an assessment with nomads in Ladakh soon to check and verify.
Buying and selling direct without brick and mortar shops allows us to pay nomads, artisans and workshops fairly and provide a good value to our customers.
No animals are harmed or killed. Goats and yaks shed their coats in the Spring when the clip takes place. The clip is when goats and yak fibre is collected using combs, brushes and shears.
Noble Fibre does not use fibres from any endangered species including the Chiru, the Tibetan antelope, which is killed to make ring shawls.
DYES/WASHING
Many of our pieces are undyed for an organic ultra soft hand touch. We only use vegetable based and AZO European dyes for colors. Our partners are careful with water use and disposal of water and waste.
SOCIAL IMPACT
NFI supports training programs so nomads can increase the quality and value of their fibres. NFI provides combs, brushes, shears, bags and training to nomads in Tibet. Nomads can obtain higher prices for their fibre and NFI and our customers benefit from the softest, highest quality products.
NFI works to achieve social impact in the following ways:
- Add value to the raw cashmere and yak wool to increase nomad incomes
- Pay nomads directly for fair market value
- Support locally owned and run businesses and artisans to increase incomes
- Sustain culture and identity by integrating traditional techniques into designs
- invest in the start up and growth of local enterprises and cooperatives
- Check and monitor all aspects of raw material and production to the best of our ability
- Promote and implement best environmental practices to reduce carbon foot print, waste and mitigate harmful impacts to people, animals and the land
Fair & Socially Conscious
One of our workshop partners in Nepal is fully fair trade certified and two of them are working toward that status. There is no child labor and NFI pays spinners, weavers and workers fairly in any of our production. One of our main partners is building a new workshop facility to improve both working and environmental standards.
NFI’s main directors have worked in international development and social enterprise on large scale programs involving monitoring and evaluation, environmental compliance, social enterprise and artisan programs with the EU, USAID, UNESCO, the Smithsonian and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and social enterprise initiatives so we have internal knowledge of how to conduct sustainability and environmental assessments, mitigate risks and scale in a meaningful way to create equitable and socially responsible enterprises and practices. And we know how to measure impact!
Supporting and empowering women
Women make up 70% of the artisan sector! We create economic opportunities for artisans and entrepreneurs. NFI provided seed funding to start a women owned business in Tibet by a Tibetan partner. She works in Beijing, Lhasa and Tibetan nomad communities.
Sustaining Culture
NFI contributes to sustaining local artisan and cultural traditions which contributes to maintaining identity.
Giving Back
We make donations of product to support non profit projects. Groups must be registered 501 c 3 non profit organizations and/or have certification in their region. Please contact us for more details.
We have supported the following charitable organizations:
The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, Aspen Institute, Oceana, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Humane Society, Mujeres Unidas e Activas, TEWA women United, NRDC, Surfrider Foundation, The Washington Animal Rescue League, The Humane Society, The Friends School NYC, The Friends School Brooklyn, St. Albans School, Washington, DC, The Town School, San Francisco, Aspen Alliance for Artisan Enterprise and local charities in the Himalayas where our artisan partners are based.